Following the best jobs numbers since 2007, the President recognizes that such trends are cold comfort to those who are struggling and pledges to continue pushing forward towards positive job growth. He looks back at the Jobs Forum he hosted days before and looks ahead to further action. He emphatically restates why he ran for President in the first place: to fight for a country where responsibility is still rewarded, and hard-working people can get ahead. December 5, 2009.

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Desiree Rogers assigned herself as a "guest" and not a "staffer", at the State Dinner? The White House wants this to go away, but when you have the Social Secretary acting in this manner and we have a President who has the most death threats of any sitting President, somebody needs to be FIRED over this. Oh, Rogers gets executive privilege, that is why she is not testifying in front of congress today. Good interview by Meredith Viera of The Today Show.

But Rogers' style and glamour are a double-edged sword, one that might have drawn a little political blood over the past few days after the gate-crasher snafu.

Other social secretaries have stood on the steps to greet guests as they enter the White House for state dinners; it's considered an extension of the first lady's hospitality, since she can't be there at the moment herself. Instead of greeting guests, Rogers functioned as one: she walked the press line, posed for photos and became fodder for the chattering classes by sticking out from the formal versions of Ann Taylor-wear normally seen at state occasions by coming to dinner in cutting-edge Japanese couture.

Some have even suggested that Rogers step down, since she can't contain her own ego needs to serve the first lady. That probably won't happen. For one thing, she has a powerful protector and loyal friend in Obama mentor Valerie Jarrett. For another, Michelle Obama values Rogers' style and savvy; the first lady clearly feels her social secretary has her back when it counts, regardless of what she's wearing.

This is not surprising. Why? We are going into year nine of these wars. Again, nothing to show for it, but we can all of a sudden afford it and can't even give decent health care to our own citizens? President Obama, I really hope you find Obama bin Laden, because this is a major hit in the polls and hardens many feelings.

Just as President Obama has outlined his broad strategy for Afghanistan and is pushing ahead with other global initiatives, the percentage of Americans who believe the U.S. should mind its own business and let other countries get along on their own has reached an all-time high, according to a poll by the Pew Research Center and the Council on Foreign Relations conducted Oct. 28 - Nov. 8.

The Pew survey found 49 percent of Americans holding that view. The previous highs were 41 percent in both 1995 and 1976. Forty-four percent in the poll disagreed.

Those who believe the U.S. should go its own way and not worry about whether other countries agree reached 44 percent , which was the highest number since 1995, when 34 percent took that position. Still, 51 percent disagreed with that point of view.

While a solid majority believes the initial decision to use force in Afghanistan was the correct one, 40 percent want to see U.S. troops decreased, 32 percent support an increase, and 19 percent said troop levels should stay the same. Eight percent were undecided. Fifty-seven percent believe the U.S. military effort is not going well, while 36 percent say it is going fairly or very well.

Pew says these numbers show that "isolationism and unilateralism have reached four-decade highs among the public." read more here...

The White House still protecting her. Yes, she falls under the West Wing, but after her major snafu of not doing her job for the State Dinner which resulted with the uninvited guests who actually PUNKED the White House, just how long will she go on in her position. She is a MAJOR embarrassment to the White House. I am on this because she clearly did not have the list together, 2 people from her office was TOLD that these people was not on the list, and all she cares about is being SEEN. I have NEVER witnessed a Social Secretary acting like she is the focal point over the persons who live in the White House. Again, Obamas, I know she is your friend, but one who obviously does not understand what her position and job is. Clean it up. Watch video below, 1/2 way into it.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

The official White House Christmas Tree, a Douglas Fir stands 18 1/2 feet high and nearly 13 feet wide, is seen in the Blue Room during the media preview of the White House holiday decorations December 2, 2009 at the White House in Washington, DC. The theme for the 2009 White House holiday decorations is 'Reflect Rejoice Renew.'

"For the Obama family, Christmas and the new year has always been a time to reflect on our many blessings, to rejoice in the pleasure of spending time with our family and our friends, and to renew our commitment to one another and to the causes that we believe in," she said in the Grand Foyer of the White House.

She said everything came together with the help of East Wing and residence staff members, and 92 volunteers from 24 states who spent more than 3,400 hours getting the White House ready for the holidays.

Not part of the theme but on the minds of the first family is recycling.

Decorators used about 800 ornaments left over from previous administrations. "We sent them to 60 local community groups throughout the country, and asked them to decorate them to pay tribute to a favorite local landmark and then send them back to us for display here at the White House," Obama said.

Kim Fawley, a schoolteacher in Virginia who volunteered her time to help decorate, said she was impressed by the handmade ornaments, which include the Statue of Liberty, the Boston Celtics, Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo and the DuSable Museum of African American History.

"They're just beautiful. The love and the care that they took to put them together is obvious when you hold them in your hands," Fawley said.

In keeping with the environmentally conscious theme, the official White House Christmas tree, a Douglas fir that stands 18 1/2 feet high in the Blue Room, is lit with energy-saving LED lights. And according to the first lady's office, six of the trees on display at the entrances of the East Wing, West Wing and North Portico will be replanted after the holidays by the National Parks Service.

White House pastry chef Bill Yosses and his team personalized the annual white-chocolate-covered gingerbread White House to reflect the first family's first year in the White House. The 390-pound house includes replicas of "first dog" Bo and the first lady's kitchen garden.

Yosses said this is also the first time the gingerbread White House includes an interior replica of the State Dining Room, complete with furniture made of dark chocolate.

The White House says its social secretary will not testify at a congressional hearing into the security lapse that mistakenly allowed a couple into last week's state dinner.

Press secretary Robert Gibbs said Wednesday that Desiree Rogers will not testify before the House Homeland Security Committee. The panel has scheduled a hearing Thursday and Rogers had been invited to testify. Gibbs cited the separation of powers and a history of White House staff not testifying before Congress.

The Secret Service has acknowledged that Michaele and Tareq Salahi got into the Nov. 24 dinner because its security procedures at a checkpoint were not followed. Rogers also has acknowledged that no one from her office was at the checkpoint to help identify guests.

This is the problem with Rogers, for DECADES the Social Secretary's office worked in TANDEM with the Secret Service in verifying guests at every entrance to the White House. Rogers needs to focus on doing her job and not worry about being in the society columns, social columns, fashion magazines, stop walking red carpets and being announced for any White House duties and stop trying to one up the First Lady. It took Robert Gibbs to tell her to get out of the picture with VOGUE magazine. I have never heard of a Social Secretary doing all that she is doing. In fact, the Social Secretary is to be invisible to the President and First Lady, but I guess she wants everyone to know who she is. Well, we certainly do NOW, after this major security breach.

On the night of the Obamas' first state dinner, White House social secretary Desirée Rogers glided past the rope line of press and photographers at 6:53 p.m., pausing to boast, "We are very excited . . . everything looks great." Little did she know that the evening would end up tarnishing her vaunted reputation as an overachieving perfectionist.

[snip]

On Thursday, a House committee wants answers from her about how this could happen. A key question: Was anyone from Rogers's office staffing the front gate? Even though Secret Service has accepted full responsibility for the security lapse, Rogers also has indicated that none of her staff was present when the Salahis arrived. As a result, her managerial style is under scrutiny. And her Hollywood persona, fairly or unfairly, could prove to be the most damning evidence of all.

Rogers -- the point person for the high-profile, high-security, high-stakes diplomatic gala for the Indian prime minister -- was dressed in a pale peach gown from the avant-garde Japanese design house Comme des Garcons. It was the sort of attention-getting dress, with its translucent sleeves and strands of pearls encased in layers of tulle, that proclaimed the wearer a fashion savant.

"Just because she has this job, it's not going to make her a worker bee," says a friend who did not want to be identified in order not to offend. "She's glamorous."

Barack and Michelle Obama, she may be your very good friend, but not only does she need to step in the background and try to do her job, maybe, you should replace her with someone who KNOWS how to do the job.

It was a good speech, but just looking at the faces of that crowd only one word comes to my mind, "skeptical".

As I am, very skeptical of rebooting a war, because that is what we are doing REBOOTING Afghanistan.

This country has spent over or close to 1 trillion dollars.

Have we had enough?

Every poll that is out there, recently, have the Afghanistan War a no win war. People want the troops out.

We have spent too much damn money on this shit and don't have NOTHING to show for it. Ah, yes, we have not been attacked since 9/11. This argument is fading and after tonight, very quickly.

The President was eloquent, looked sad, kept on point, but I don't think he changed many minds. Not when we have an economy and unemployment rate that is shattering. Not when many are out of work and are looking at what is affecting THEM directly. For these folks, Afghanistan is worthless.

I hope among hope that Barack Obama's plan work, but history is a bitch. It was the Soviet Union who fought in Afghanistan for 10 years, it was this war that bankrupt that country.

The United States of America is on the tether, yes, a very fine tether. The money sunk and owed for both Iraq and Afghanistan is part of what has happened to this country financially, along with the Wall Street fraud.

When will it end? When will we have someone say, "THE TIME IS UP, NOW, NOT 18 MONTHS FROM NOW."

And the timeline? Does anyone believe that it will actually be adhered to? One thing about wars, you can set a date and it can easily be blown to bits. Don't trust it.

Lastly, I will pray tonight for President Obama because he will be lucky if this country falls for rebooting a war that we have been fighting for 8 years. He needs all the luck and prayers he can get.

Desiree Rogers, Social Secretary has been under much warranted scrutiny for the Virginia couple who got into the State Dinner, uninvited. Obviously, the proper protocol was not followed by her office to verify guests on the list, along with the Secret Service. It is all broken down, here.

On Hardball with Chris Matthews today, Congressman Bennie Thompson was questioned by Matthews on why this embarrassment is just being thrown on the Secret Service when two persons from the East Wing was TOLD that these individuals was not on the list and they did NOTHING. Rogers was even quick to state, "We were not at the door", like that is supposed to EXCUSE her office for not doing their job, when they WERE supposed to be at all doors verifying the list.

So, the representative to EXPLAIN Ms. Rogers confusion of not doing her job to congress is none other than, Melody Barnes. Ms. Barnes is the Director of the Domestic Policy Council, for the President of the United States. She has NOTHING to do with the East Wing, or Desiree Rogers job.

It is clear the White House want to move on past this, I certainly do, but Desiree Rogers clearly did not follow proper protocol on verifying individuals coming into the White House. I am on this because Barack Obama is the only sitting President with over 400% death threats against him. Folks, that is a record and Rogers is busy walking down the red carpet, being seen on television, getting up close to the powerful and famous, while neglecting her primary job.

Rogers has made Michelle Obama's office look inefficient and she needs to resign.

Monday, November 30, 2009

Again, who the hell is advising Obama? 35K more troops? For what? And how long are we going to continue to pay 10B+ a month while Americans are being nickled and dimed on proper health care coverage, constantly being told "We can't afford it". But, we continue to throw money to this shit? Please. And Micheal Moore is right.

We know the Secret Service is being called on the carpet now, as it should be, but Desiree Rogers the Social Secretary of the White House needs to be called on the carpet, too.

During the 2008 Democratic Primaries, we watched how the Hillary Clinton Campaign (inevitable) perform a complete meltdown. Why? One primary reason was because she had friends in positions of her campaign who were NOT qualified for their job, thus we saw the unraveling of an inevitable campaign struggle with money, message to the end.

Thus, Desiree Rogers a friend of the Obamas is totally not qualified for this job. Watch these videos from Hardball and ask yourself, why did the First Lady's Social Secretary NOT have anyone to verify these names of the party crashers at the door of the White House. In the past, the Social Secretary's office ALWAYS had someone from her office to verify the names on the LIST. Why was Rogers or anyone from her office not doing this? And Rogers, who attempted to throw this all in the Secret Service's lap stated, "We had no one at the door." Ms. Rogers, bad mistake.

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